The image shows the confrontation between Paul Gogarty Malachy Steenson
Local TD rows with Councillors outside Dail over Citywest Hotel controversy
A row erupted outside the Dáil between a west Dublin TD and two councillors from the northside of the city over government plans to buy the Citywest Hotel.
TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty was attempting to address protestors outside the Leinster House on Wednesday, June 11, when he was shouted down by independent Dublin City councillors Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper.
Negotiations are ongoing between the Irish state and Citywest owners Tetrarch Capital to purchase the hotel and continue its use as IPAS facility.
Deputy Gogarty was addressing “Saggart residents” among the two dozen people gathered outside the Dáil when he was confronted by Cllr Steenson, who was elected in the North Inner City LEA, and Cllr Pepper, who serves the Ballymun-Finglas LEA.
In a video of the incident, Cllr Steenson can be seen shouting “who are you calling far right?” at Deputy Gogarty after he said “I’m talking to the people of Saggart, I don’t want any far-right here,” into a megaphone.
Cllr Pepper also protested comments from the Lucan TD, labelling him a “disgrace”.
Speaking after the incident, Deputy Gogarty said he supports residents that are objecting to the government’s plan to purchase the Citywest hotel.
“The issue is that certain groupings who aren’t associated with the protestors tend to hang along the fringes,” he said, referring to Cllr Steenson.
Citywest Hotel has been used to house refugees and asylum seekers since 2022 when the number of Ukrainians and International Protection Applicants arriving to the country first surged.
It has been effectively closed to the public since 2020 when it was used as a HSE quarantine facility during the Covid-19 pandemic.
